Archive for the ‘Baseball’ Category

We bid you good luck, Mr. Morris

As expected, Hunter Morris’ career at Auburn is over.

Morris inked a contract earlier this week with the Milwaukee Brewers, who drafted him in the fourth round of last week’s Major League Baseball Draft. Morris, who will report to the Brewers’ lower-A affiliate, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, received a $218,700 signing bonus, according to Baseball America.

It took one of the most successful seasons in program history to bring back the crowds Auburn envisioned when it revamped Plainsman Park 15 years ago.

Bringing them back through the early part of 2011 shouldn’t be hard. Keeping them there after potentially losing one-third of this season’s contributing players will be tougher.

Just one day after the Tigers’ season came to a close against Clemson, coach John Pawlowski saw his roster gutted round by round in the MLB Draft.

Trent Mummey and Hunter Morris were both taken aback Tuesday afternoon as they waited to see where they would respectively land on the second day of the Major League Baseball Draft.

Mummey was expecting to see his name scroll across the computer screen in the fourth round, and it did. Only it was the Baltimore Orioles with the 118th overall pick — a team he hadn’t made contact with in the days leading up to the draft.

“I haven’t really talked to them much,” Mummey said, “but it was exciting they took me.”

Justin Fradejas, Ryan Jenkins, Hunter Morris and Trent Mummey were each voted to the 2010 NCAA Auburn Regional All-Regional Team.

Auburn’s right fielder, Fradejas led the team with a .450 batting average, nine hits and eight runs scored while also tying for the team lead in RBI with seven. Defensively, he had a .917 fielding percentage, making 11 putouts.

Jenkins, Auburn’s everyday catcher, hit .368 with two doubles, two walks, a RBI and three runs scored at the plate while behind it, he held the other three regional opponents to just one stolen base and also successfully picked a runner off first.

There was frustration, sure. A late-innings ejection from the pitching coach, of all people, summed that up Monday night at Plainsman Park.

Yet there was still satisfaction, albeit tempered, after Auburn’s 13-7 season-ending loss to Clemson before the third capacity crowd in four days.

Minutes after Clemson first baseman Richie Shaffer pumped his fist, recorded the game’s final out and joined his teammates at the pitcher’s mound for a dog pile, Auburn’s players streamed out of the dugout and looked out toward the fans wearing Auburn orange.

They were sent off with a standing ovation.

Clemson coach Jack Leggett’s reaction to Auburn’s dramatic, 11-10 comeback victory was brief and to the point.

Second baseman Mike Freeman had a similar reaction.

“The only thing we can do,” Freeman said, “is flush it.”

Clemson went from the driver’s seat in this NCAA regional to behind a tidal wave of momentum that Auburn will try to carry into tonight’s game at Plainsman Park.

“I don’t think it will be that difficult,” Freeman said. “Our guys have been there before.”

Creede Simpson’s fingers flickered on the handle of his bat as Clemson’s Tomas Cruz stared him down, one strike away from sending the visitors to its ninth NCAA Super Regional.

The 20-year-old, born and raised in the shadows of Plainsman Park, had no idea he was about to hit one of the most memorable home runs in the program’s history, one that would ultimately send Auburn past Clemson, 11-10, and on to a winner-take-all regional championship game tonight at 6 p.m.

Pawlowski focused on winning

There’s an obvious sense of respect when Auburn coach John Pawlowski talks about the man who gave him his first opportunity as a coach, Clemson’s Jack Leggett.

The same can be said for the pride that oozes from Leggett when he talks about his former pitching coach, Pawlowski, one of his four former assistants who are now head coaches in the SEC.

Yet when both were prompted about each other on multiple occasions this week, the kind words quickly gave way toward more pressing issues in the coaches’ minds.

For those who sat in traffic for hours and missed a number of innings at last week’s SEC Tournament in Hoover, Auburn hopes you’re prepared not to make the same mistake twice.

Auburn officials are urging those who plan to attend any of this weekend’s NCAA Regional action at Plainsman Park to arrive early in hopes of preventing logjams both on the road and in ticket lines.

Limited, single-game tickets will go on sale today from 8-11:30 a.m. at the Coliseum ticket office. Starting at noon, fans can pick up their Will
Call tickets or continue to purchase single-game tickets, if available, at a modular unit on the southwest corner of Heisman Drive (formerly
Roosevelt) and Donahue Drive.

It’s been a busy day here at Plainsman Park, but we’re rounding third and heading home with all our pre-game buildup for tomorrow’s NCAA regional.

You see what I did there with that baseball pun? Take note, kids. Wordsmith skills like this get you the big bucks.

ANYWAYS, I’ve spent the last hour or two breaking down each of the four teams in capsule form for tomorrow’s newspaper. Because I’m impatient, I’m going to unveil these to the Blog-a-verse now.

Have at it.